A GLITTERING THIRD INSTALLMENT, IMHO

I may be a witch, but Halloween isn't my favorite holiday, except in that it shines a bit more approval upon my kind.
But I'm a witch every day of the year, calendar date be damned.
That said, I'm happy that the latest book featuring my daughter, Poppy Blue, is set at Halloween.
I'm not exactly sure I'm thrilled with how the author made a mockery of my culinary creations. She described them as cruel, but I prefer to simply think of them as inspired.
I mean, I took all kinds of ingredients that were in the pantry and the refrigerator and made meals out of them. And I added a few healthy things to boot. How wrong is that? Okay, I'm not making wine out of water, but it's still a noble effort.
Poppy simply grew up spoiled, being an only child and all. And yes, she is  not fond of green olives, but to turn her nose up at a casserole -- on a cold fall day, no less -- full of crackers, cheese, savory meats and olives -- how could she? Yes, I suppose adding beets to that one pasta dish was a bit jarring. The color was better suited for a manicure than a main course, but I tried. That's what counts. You know, the thought? And I thought it was a marvelous effort.
But Poppy's adventures are regaled in book three, Tricks and Treats. Reader, you will enjoy Poppy and Roger's trip through a much-improved haunted house, how their romance continues to blossom (and I have told Roger Poppy's ring size, repeatedly, since men need frequent reminders),  a visit from a mysterious guest, and my motherly instincts in action as I defend my cherry-locked (still … why will she not just go back to being blonde for a season and see how she likes it?) daughter. It is, after all, my job to torment the poor girl. She tormented my birth canal by putting me through 23 hours of labor. 
She was worth it, though. Even though she keeps her hair that traffic-light shade of red.